Home Truly
by Suchi Rukara
Summary: Starfire contracts an unknown illness that mutates in her alien body. The Tower is thrown into panic at even the slightest chance of losing a fellow Titan. But as she slowly becomes delirious, will she still see the Tower as her home? R&S pairing, B&Rae.
1. Whenever I am Feeling Low

Home Truly – Teen Titans

Story Summary: Starfire contracts an unknown illness that mutates in her alien body. The Tower is thrown into panic at even the slightest chance of losing a fellow Titan. But as she slowly becomes delirious, will she still see the Tower as her home? R&S pairing, B&Rae pairing, I suppose.

Chapter 1: Whenever I am Feeling Low

Customary Author's (who doesn't own TT or anything) Introduction:

Good day, fellow readers. I'm hoping to be able to provide top condition fan-fictions for you. No original characters in this fanfiction, though. Those are rife in this place and I want to do something different.

I will try my best not to let anyone die, I promise.

Mr. Marvel: Some beings do not die. They EVOLVE!

That didn't have much to do with what I just typed... or did it?

Begin Story

"Robin."

It was a croaking, gravelly voice, but Robin mentally brushed it aside. He was far too busy with his own things; monitoring security cameras, organising his files, searching once again for any signs and clues of Slade.

He could have left it until a civilised hour, when the sun was up, but the young adolescent couldn't seem to wait until then. Already it was the fourth day in a row that he had glued his eyes to the computer screen until the wee hours of the morning. The droop of his eyelids, or perhaps his mask, was already obvious. Perhaps that was why he kept it hidden, facing a screen of numbers and images none of the Titans would care to look at.

"Robin."

There it was again. The boy was still cooped up in the chair, his green-gloved fingers rapidly jumping from key to key as yet more windows and data popped up at its command. Perhaps it soothed him to keep busy like this, or perhaps it gave him a sense of joy at the obedience of the computer that nothing else could. Sure his rather unruly team of Titans obeyed his orders, but not with the compliance of the machine he sat before now. And when you didn't need it, you could shut it down instead of his group that would lie around on the sofa or play volleyball, or just be irritating and knock on his door all day.

"Robin!"

"What...?" At last the Bird Boy responded, but he still gave no thought to who it was. His yellow cape lay crumpled under his suit of red and green, his green gloves came down on the metallic keyboard in frustration. He turned around.

A rather tall girl stood in the doorway, leaning heavily on the wall with her right hand and clutching her stomach with another. Her hair, usually neat strands cascading down smoothly to the small of her back, now was a scarlet bird's nest on the top of her head. Her purple outfit was crumpled and messy as well, and her unnatural orange skin had a green tinge to it.

That was enough to make Robin cease his work at last.

"Starfire," he dumbly spoke her name. "What's... what's wrong?"

The female, Starfire, gave a weak grimace. "I feel... unwell."

* * *

Customary Author's Post-Chapter Note:

I'm sorry that that was rather short. I may even upload two chapters at the same time since it's Saturday. Well, I suppose I'll see you around. I need to plan the next chapter.

Coming Up: I Look Around Me and I Know

Starfire is sick, very sick. So sick, that no one knows what it actually is. One doctor says that it's an entirely new strain, another says it's a mutation. Yet another says that it's an alien disease that cannot be treated, at least on Earth. The girl starts to get delirious and fits that may worsen her health even more. What will happen next?


	2. I Look Around Me and I Know

Home Truly – Teen Titans

Story Summary: Starfire contracts an unknown illness that mutates in her alien body. The Tower is thrown into panic at even the slightest chance of losing a fellow Titan. But as she slowly becomes delirious, will she still see the Tower as her home? R&S pairing, B&Rae pairing, I suppose.

Chapter 2: I Look Around Me and I Know

Chapter Summary: Starfire is sick, very sick. So sick, that no one knows what it actually is. One doctor says that it's an entirely new strain, another says it's a mutation. Yet another says that it's an alien disease that cannot be treated, at least on Earth. The girl starts to get delirious and fits that may worsen her health even more. What will happen next?

Customary Author's Introduction: Here we are at Chapter 2. Judging from the summary it looks like it's going to be rather long.

Fairy that pops out of nowhere in a maid costume: Hello there! How do you do? My name is Peep!

Okay okay, let's start.

BEGIN FAN FIC

"Starfire is sick. And by the looks of it, very sick."

Starfire was burning up, and throwing up as well. The whole Tower had been alerted and now all five Titans crowded in the bathroom around a puddle of green goo. One, of course, was kneeling over the mess.

"Cyborg, can you do an analysis of this?" Robin jabbed his finger at the area above the offending substance while casting a pleading glance at Cyborg. He definitely didn't want to examine it any further.

"Right on it," Cyborg replied, slowly scooping up the object in question and onto a panel on his right arm. His grimace made it clear that he was very uncomfortable with the moist little puddle on his body, even though it was artificial. A red line slowly made its way across the panel, scanning, scanning the vomit through means that only Cyborg could understand.

"This doesn't look too good," he looked up, uncomfortable. "I'm going up to my room to do some further tests, okay?"

Tentatively standing up balancing his arm carefully, he walked out of the bathroom.

A groan, then a thump alerted the others to the situation at hand. Starfire was unconscious.

* * *

Only Robin and Cyborg could fit in the blue-circuited vehicle with the sick little alien stretched out in the back seat. Along with Raven and Beast Boy hovering above the T-Car, it was a sight that wasn't normally seen in Jump City, with purple boots seen propped up against the window. Raven couldn't help but peek into the heads of the citizens that lined the road.

_What's going on?_

_Those are Starfire's boots!_

_They're heading for the hospital. Is she dead?_

_As a devoted head-junior-female-assistant-assistant Starfire fan club reporter I can't let this escape the newsletter! "Starfire, Dead or Alive?" Priceless to behold!_

It made her want to sigh.

* * *

About an hour later.

Tap tap, tap tap, tap tap, tap tap.

He paced about the room, waiting, waiting. It had been forty-five minutes since Starfire had entered that pair of double doors, on that white bed on wheels surrounded by doctors. He didn't like the cold touch of their gloves himself, and he was worried about what the alien girl would think about it.

Of course, he had other things to worry about too.

"_Go back to the Tower first_," he had told his team about half an hour ago. "_I'll catch up later, okay?_"

Yes, there followed protests, whines, indifference, taunts. Especially about "Robin and Starfire sitting in a tree". Without moving from his elbows-on-knees posture on the sofa, he responded in the calmest way he possibly could. "_I just want to make sure Star's okay._"

Maybe that special tone of his voice had made them shut up.

Now he watched as the double doors slowly opened. Three of the men in white masks exited the room, arguing in soft whispers that were slowly raising in volume.

"I'm telling you, she's an alien, so likely she should contract a..."

"Then who would she get that from? I'd say that's it's new..."

"Mutation is rampant among viruses, can't you see that? So obviously..."

"What is it? What's wrong with her?"

The three doctors looked up and spoke in unison.

"It's an alien disease."

"It's a new strain."

"It's a mutation."

Then the doctors glared at each other.

"Can I go in and see her?"

The doctors looked at Robin. He was still rather short, so they just smiled. Robin could tell; their eyes were crinkling. "Go ahead, son," they all motioned faintly towards the entrance, then resumed their argument. So Robin entered.

The room was baby blue, with blue sheets, blue walls, blue pillows, blue curtains. An IV slowly dispersed drops of yellow, translucent liquid down a pipe into Starfire's arm. Somehow, it made him uncomfortable to see Starfire that way now, although he had seen it happen to many others before. Like Raven, for example. But now he just felt jittery and awkward.

Her face was not placid, rather contorted in pain. The skin still held the same green look, and her face and hair dripped sweat onto the pillow. Her usual purple outfit was gone, and she wore a thin hospital gown, also a baby blue. Slowly she started to stir, moving her head slightly from back to forth, then vigorously rocking it from side to side. Her teeth were soon bared, fists soon clenched into tight balls. _What on earth was going on? _Robin took a small step forward, aching inwardly to just reach out, hold her hand and tell her that it was okay. He was there.

He sat down on the chair, reminding himself of the computer that was still on at home. His cape crumpled, his shirt creased as he leaned forward and softly squeezed her palm.

Then her eyes shot open with a blast of green and there was chaos.

She shot up from her bed with an expression of anger, the expression that she had worn so long ago when they had first met her. She shouted in her native language, one that he could not understand. Her hand glowed green and Robin's was burnt, but he was too astonished to notice. It was pulled away and she finally said something in English, hurried and flustered. "Don't take me to a place I don't know!"

Then as suddenly as she had started, she lay limp on the pillow.

"Perhaps you should leave her for a moment," a nurse revealed her presence behind the frozen adolescent, slowly guiding him out of the room. "She seems to be rather agitated."

* * *

With a click, the door closed behind the bedraggled Robin, who walked towards the fridge to get a drink. Wincing as his burn throbbed once again, he sat down on the sofa, just thinking to himself.

"So, how'd it go?" Raven sat down beside him with a cup of herbal tea and watched the first rays of the sun go up. Her face showed no evidence of sleep lack, unlike Robin's drooping features. "What's wrong with Starfire?"

He looked up and answered in the only way he could. "Nobody knows."

* * *

Customary Post-Chapter Note: Busy chasing Peep. Sorry! Or rather, being watched.

Chapter 3 Summary: There's a Place that will Stay Within Me

The panic spreads to the other Titans as the symptoms and delirium of Starfire are shared and experienced. Organisations worldwide have started zealous research on this new virus, and the Starfire fan club is going out in full force. In this troubled time, however, villains are making the plans to attack... coincidentally at the same instant. As Starfire gets worse and becomes hostile to her friends-turned-strangers, how will this end? Find out soon.


	3. There's a Place That Will Stay Within Me

Home Truly – Teen Titans

Story Summary: Starfire contracts an unknown illness that mutates in her alien body. The Tower is thrown into panic at even the slightest chance of losing a fellow Titan. But as she slowly becomes delirious, will she still see the Tower as her home? R&S pairing, B&Rae pairing, I suppose.

Chapter 3: There's a Place that will Stay Within Me

Chapter Summary: The panic spreads to the other Titans as the symptoms and delirium of Starfire are shared and experienced. Organisations worldwide have started zealous research on this new virus, and the Starfire fan club is going out in full force. In this troubled time, however, villains are making the plans to attack... coincidentally at the same instant. As Starfire gets worse and becomes hostile to her friends turned-strangers, how will this end? Find out... now.

Customary Author's Introduction: I'm sorry I took so incredibly long! I did the last section(s) in school. Sorry!! Also, I made up the prison on the spur of the moment... -sigh- Should have taken some time to research!

I now know Peep is rather likeable. So here she is.

Peep: Hi! I'm Peep and I like to eat watermelons! -dives into a watermelon wedge that is at least ten times bigger than her- Woo-hoo!

Me: Thank you all for the response!!

BEGIN FAN FIC

Four Titans gathered together on the sofa, four fatigued bodies vacantly staring at the sun creeping, creeping out behind the skyscrapers. Two had not slept that day at all (I suppose you can just call them night-birds), the other two having only had a few hours. After the heated exchange an hour before, when the sun was still a small sliver in the great space of the sky, there was only a few sparse questions that broke the silence.

"_Nobody knows," _Robin had said, coming back from the hospital visit, back from the absent Titan, whose memories of being one had seemingly disappeared. Raven was the sole one awake at this hour, and was the only one to hear him. "_Get the others. I think they have the right to know what's the situation now._" So Raven had gotten them.

The reaction was, of course, shock. "_Wha... how could this happen? I thought she was just sick, not getting some... amnesia!_" Beast Boy had slumped down on the sofa and massaged his scalp. "_I don't get it._"

"_I was sure that it was something bad,_" Cyborg bent his head and shook it faintly. "_That green stuff certainly didn't give anything positive._"

Raven was the only one that remained silent throughout.

"Can we go visit her soon?" Beast Boy's rather subdued voice penetrated the cloak of quietness, dawn, and general worry.

Robin turned to his green companion and nodded. "She's going to need all the support she can get."

"But what if she goes all ballistic on us?"

"Then there isn't much we can do."

* * *

_"_Organisations all around the world are researching on this new disease," the doctor who led their way spoke in a monotone fashion, somehow giving off the impression that he couldn't care less about what came out of his mouth. "Some of them, however, are simply doing it out of sheer curiosity."

"It doesn't matter," Robin replied. "Just as long as she gets better."

The four of them solemnly kept behind the doctor as he weaved through the intricate labyrinth of the corridors. Everyone was starting to feel uneasy, Robin hardened and cold, Cyborg's mouth set in a straight line, Beast Boy jittery and pulling at his clothes, and somehow even Raven gave off a faint nervous aura. Voices emerged from the hallway that led out to the left of the one they were already in, and as they drew nearer, they could make out the words. "Starfire! Starfire! Starfire!"

"Oh dear, what is going on now?" the rather elderly man straightened his spectacles and barged into the crowd. "Everyone! You are violating hospital rules! Please leave the area immediately! You are violating hospital rules..."

"Who cares, you wuss!" called a petite eleven-year old girl who stood in front of the mob with surprising authority. The words "Official Starfire Fan Club" were painstakingly embroidered with purple thread on the green shirt (although the colour didn't necessarily match), and her arms akimbo were laden with replicas of her idol's arm-guards. "We are THE Starfire Fan Club, and we cannot pass up this amazing opportunity to be introduced to the public!" she continued. "And I as assistant-junior-senior-chief-manager of publicity and mobs will not let it slip out of our fingers! Now get out of our way!"

"As you wish," the doctor turned nonchalantly to the Titans, who generally were dumbstruck. "These things happen... quite often." Then he pressed a button on the wall.

While the screaming crowd was driven away by able security guards, two nurses slowly swung open the door, eyes darting to make sure that not a single person of the purple-shirted mob was left. Exchanging smiles, they opened the doors wide. "Good morning, Dr. Glen. The patient is currently asleep, as far as we know."

"Perfect," Dr. Glen gave nary a glance to his eager subordinates as he strode briskly into the ward.

"You see, the patient seems to show all the symptoms of viral gastroenteritis, yet there are other additional problems that are very confusing," another medical practitioner joined the newcomers in the lobby, wearing that crinkly white mask that Robin was slowly growing to dislike. How they allowed for deception behind its cover, he mused quietly as he and his team tailed the doctors to the bed where Starfire. "Look at that," he said, "the excessive sweating, the obvious abdominal pain, the fever, the vomiting..."

"Yet the probable loss of memory, agitation and the fainting spells," the senior doctor continued. "Yet she seems to be in the same condition as before unconsciousness. This is why I say that it's a mutation."

The other nodded, but the Titans were still in confusion. A particular green one was about to start a rant about not knowing what 'gassy-enter-eye-dis" was, until an obscure nurse came up to them and whispered softly. "Basically, they're still debating on what it is," she smiled. "The two of them have to get to an operation, so I'll leave you alone with her."

The three faculty members left the ward silently, and Robin was the first to reach his prone team-mate and sit down, down in the chair that he had resided in not long ago. "Hey Star," Beast Boy came up behind him and patted Starfire's elbow. "You up?"

A flare of green, and everything started up again.

This time it was all in English, yet just random words strung together incoherently and garbled, slurring and rising in quick staccatos at unpredictable times. Her eyes flared a brilliant green and she made no effort to actually look at the people that she was addressing. And once again, it ended in a complete, clear sentence:"Don't take me to a place where I don't belong!"

Then she was back on the pillow, comatose.

For a moment, there was silence. Then a single voice broke the spell, Cyborg's dominant tone tamed by the spectacle he had just witnessed. "That was scary."

"I sensed a disturbance, a great disturbance," Raven looked up from her position beside Starfire's head. "But I can't say the origin."

* * *

"That girl has waited long enough!"

A purple flash, and a dent appeared in the stubborn material that was her prison cell.

"She has stayed in the ardour of her friends for far too long!"

Another dent.

"She won't get away scot-free for this!"

Another dent, but as always the small indentations slowly disappeared, leaving no sign of their presence behind.

Silver arm-guards hit the floor, fuelled by frustration and a humongous grudge. They were like Starfire's; in fact the owner herself looked a lot like Starfire. Well, that was to be expected from a sibling. The jewels on the arm-guards had lost their shine – imprisonment had done no more good to them than the rest of her.

Her hair was in chaos, rather than that purple-black near-replica of her sister's scarlet. Her usual outfit was covered by a translucent suit, the crumpled material looking very unsightly. Since she had insisted to keep it on, it was the price she had to pay. Even so, it wasn't like she cared about her appearance at that point of time. The thing held back her power, which she absolutely resented.

She _was_ a megalomaniac after all, hungry for power, hungry for authority. The jewel had been the last step towards ultimate power, but who had got in her way? Starfire. Who had landed her in jail in the first place? Starfire and her band of friends. Huh, she hated them all. That one in the geeky, childish outfit, the metal-head and the green guy, the gothic girl... Starfire! She yelled in fury and punched the floor, eyes glowing with neon fury.

"Koman'dr," came a voice from the 'outside'. That was what she called it now. The outside, where she could be free. "Meal."

"Your lunch, O Great Grand Ruler," A small opening appeared and two arms entered: one holding a gun and the other a plate of what earthlings would call gruel. Ugh, she hated the stuff, not after being used to the rich food she had enjoyed during her reign, until... Starfire!

She hit the floor again. When Blackfire got the chance, she was going to rip his blasted blaster out of his fingers and shoot herself out of the suit. All she had to do was wait for the trial and... Starfire would be doomed.

Meanwhile, a pie delivery arrived at the Tower.

Customary Author's Post-Chapter Note: Sigh. Sometimes I feel overloaded...

Peep: I can grant your every wish! Just say the word...

Me: But that's in the virtual world. How's that supposed to help?

Peep: Peep.

COMING SOON

Chapter 4: Wherever I May Choose to Go

Desperate for a cure as Starfire worsens, they travel to Tamaran. Big mistake. Meanwhile, a glimpse inside Starfire's head will be given... as long as you read it.


	4. Wherever I May Choose to Go

Home Truly – Teen Titans

Story Summary: Starfire contracts an unknown illness that mutates in her alien body. The Tower is thrown into panic at even the slightest chance of losing a fellow Titan. But as she slowly becomes delirious, will she still see the Tower as her home? R&S pairing, B&Rae pairing, I suppose.

Chapter 4: Wherever I May Choose to Go

Chapter Summary: Desperate for a cure as Starfire worsens, they travel to Tamaran. Big mistake. Meanwhile, a glimpse inside Starfire's head will be given... as long as you read it... now.

Customary Author's Introduction: This is a rather confusing chapter for me, lovies. Sorry for any mistakes in Starfire's head, 'cos I can't get much Tamaranian information. HELP IS APPRECIATED!

Peep: Let me present this revolutionary device called GOOGLE! Type in whatever you need and it will pop out as quick as winking!

Okay, fine. Fine. Now I'll just take even longer to do research... sorry!!

BEGIN FAN FIC

"So what do you propose we do now?"

The four Titans were back, back on the couch facing the expanse of sea and the skyscrapers beyond. Starfire lay in one of those buildings, the hospital, yet... she was not Starfire. She couldn't remember anything, anyone, or so it seemed. Perhaps it was too terrifying to fathom, to do anything about it as of yet. Is it not scary when your grandfather acquires Alzheimer's or dementia and, one day, he can't remember you anymore?

A sad, sad, loss is felt, a loss that can tear you apart. And these were what the four teenagers were feeling right now.

Raven was desperately trying to meditate, although despite the rare silence in the Tower, she couldn't concentrate at all. Thoughts of Starfire ran through her head, thoughts of her, her state, that blockage, that disturbance in her mind. What was going on? What was going to happen...

Calm down, Raven, calm down.

Beast Boy was still in a dazed, subdued state, lying, face up, on the sofa, eyes glazed over. It was unusual for such a boy who usually would face every problem with either a comparatively nonchalant facade, or an overly frantic one, or an unreasonable one. But it was rare, rare to see him in such a sulk and with no movement whatsoever, except for the Terra episode. Had Starfire's condition been as hurtful as Terra's betrayal? Perhaps it had; it was if their relationship had dissipated wasn't it? Was that not what had happened to Starfire, all traces of memory wiped away in an instant by some disease that he knew nothing about. Yeah, it was bad, and it might have been worse.

Cyborg hunkered down on the sofa too, almost making contact with Beast Boy's feet, yet there was no argument between them. The usually cheery and "Boo-yah!" Cyborg was gone, cloaked in a shroud of... was it grief? Uncertainty? Panic? Or just a sense of sadness? Yes, that was a good way to sum it all up. Sadness. Starfire was a near indispensable member of the team. Without her, he didn't feel complete in the team. Five, down to four. Would it stay that way... forever?

Robin had taken the worst damage. Not maybe, he definitely had. His gloves were over his face, holding there with a vice-like grip, his hair usually a perfect combination of spikes ruffled and messy in his grasp. Come to think of it, he had not done much to it since the day that she had fallen ill. If you touched his mask, ever got the chance to brush it, you would find that it would be soggy. Robin hardly ever cried but...

He loved Starfire.

It was so like Robin to keep it to himself, covering it up with 'leadership duties' and 'impartiality'. No one had ever seen him be more lenient on Starfire. Sometimes, he would make it a little harder on her just to make sure no suspicion was raised. But now, he felt so guilty, so stupid. Why hadn't he told her? Why was he so proud? Now that it had come down to this, she might never know. His heart would bleed, bleed, perhaps forever.

Then the silence was broken. "What do you propose we do now?"

Raven, of all people, was the source of the voice. She could not take it anymore, it seemed. Now she looked at Robin, who slowly turned to her. Then the head slowly turned to all the other teammates who had altered their positions to turn towards him, too. Inside, he was thinking. And he finally had decided.

"We'll go to Tamaran."

* * *

_Somewhere in outer space_

It is a wonderful and rare feeling for us to travel in the black vacuum of outer space, and also a very precarious thing. In a vacuum, nothing survives the emptiness, absence of light, sound, heat, oxygen. Only a metal wall separates you from this perilous fate.

But for the Titans it was something not outstanding, a near everyday thing. Already they had ventured out here at least four times, once to search for Starfire's mutated body, once to take her to a marriage that never took place, once to have crash-landed n that strange planet, so many times for those missions when the Brotherhood was still around. But only once had Starfire not been there, and neither would she be there on the trip back. But this was a mission that could perhaps save the sick girl's life. But still, meaningless conversation took place to cloud the worry and anxiety they all felt.

"Tamaran? Again? That's like eight light years away! It's going t' wear down my baby! Not to mention those alien dogs."

"Dude, I don't want to go back there! I don't think they even know what a vegetarian option is."

"There is no point in complaining. We are going there and coming back, that is all."

"And this time, there aren't going to be any carnivorous chairs!"

And thus, they arrived on the planet of Tamaran.

* * *

"The Emperor will see you now."

Thankfully, the Tamaranians spoke basic English. So the Titans entered the hall in which Blackfire had once sat, and found Galfore as Starfire had left him – the ruler of the planet.

"Good day to you, Titans. How is Princess Starfire doing?"

His majestic voice resounded all over the room, and his tone and words made it seem even harder to break the news to him. The Titans all stepped away from their leader, singling him out to speak.

"Good day to you, Emperor… Galfore. We are… greatly saddened by this piece of news, but Starfire… is not well."

The Emperor was not unfazed, but neither did he go ballistic. "My bumgorf…" he hugged himself for a few seconds, and returned to his stately position.

"What are the symptoms like? We will see what we can do."

Immediately two men stepped forward – one held writing materials; a scribe. Another was empty handed.

Slowly but unsteadily, Robin described his team member's strange behaviour and clinical symptoms that the doctors had discussed among themselves, as well as the varying hypothesises that they had. The other Titans had their heads bent by this point, and by the time their leader had finished, he lowered his head too.

"You two!" Galfore turned and addressed the scribe and the other person, now conferring in hushed and fast Tamaranian. It was a soft voice, near emotionless, but the sadness could be seen right through the guise.

"O Emperor Galfore," the man which was not the scribe turned towards Galfore and gave a slight gesture of respect, then turned towards the Titans as to make a presentation. "Even as what these earthlings may call the royal chief physician, I currently have no explanation as to what Princess Koriand'r is suffering from." He then swivelled, and walked away.

The thing was that he didn't seem to care at all. Maybe that was what made Robin snap.

"How can you not know anything?!" He stood up and shouted at the figure on the throne, spewing several gobs of spit. "No-one on earth knows anything either! How am I supposed to believe that _you_ don't know anything about this?! It's impossible!!"

He crumpled down on the floor, his hair positioned in the reverse direction it was supposed to be in, across his scalp and over onto his forehead. And finally, finally, he started to cry.

Cry.

Cry.

For so many days he had refused to cry. He was the strong one of the Titans, the only one that was actually serious about all this crime fighting... after all that training from Batman, all the things he had been through, how could he cry?

_It's because you love her._

No.

_It's because you love her._

No!

_It's not because you're weak._

NO!

_It's because you love her._

"NO!" he tried to scream, let it all out, but he was drifting slowly into an exhausted rest as two pairs of hands lifted his upper arms and took him away.

* * *

"Starfire."

Cold, such a horrible cold, sweeping through her body in periodic spasms of pain and agony. It felt like her blood would freeze each time, all the tubes that carried them becoming rigid, frozen and...

"Starfire."

Now a searing pain, pain as if from a burn. Burning flames of fire licking at the once frozen tissues and organs of her skin; a short split-second of relief, and then more torment, more... pain. There was not a very wide vocabulary of English that she knew of at that time, and she seemed to be limited to thinking in English right now...

"Starfire."

What was that? A sound entered her ears, slowly making its way to her brain, pushing to get through all the pain that was being intercepted just to be noticed, to be detected, to be deciphered. She tried, tried to make it out, but the pain, _oh the pain_, still rushing through her body. Now it was cold again, freezing again the organs which had been burning just a while ago.

_"Starfire!_"

Starfire. At last, she knew what was it, what was going on. Someone was calling her name, she had to respond. But how was she to do that? All she pictured was opening her eyelids... and more and more pain. But she did, and nothing happened. She couldn't feel anything... in her corporeal body at least. The pain continued, but she could not feel her eyelids moving, yet she knew that she was opening her eyes to see _something_...

"Robin?"

She didn't know if she was seeing anything, she didn't know if she was just imagining things. Was she dreaming? Was she just going... crazy, like her friends would exclaim at each other when they did stupid things? All she knew was that she _thought_ she saw him, although she couldn't actually see his features, but his presence was there. She could feel it, and in it, she felt comfort.

"Robin!"

She could feel a smile.

She smiled too, or at least she thought she was smiling. She gave a gasp of happiness, and started to reach out and touch him, fall into his arms and be free of whatever was holding her back, this sickness.

But then he was gone, leaving her alone again with her pain.

_"ROBIN!" _she screamed, yet she was not screaming. Emotional agony added itself to the physical torture she already felt, building up inside her, ready to be let out perhaps in starbolts, eye lasers, or maybe just a stream of tears.

But she could not, and remained in the pain.

Customary Post-Chapter Note: It's longer that usual, sorry I took so long... again.

Peep: Huzzah!

So anyway, I'm moving some of the Tamaran stuff over to the next chapter, huh? So, be content with this summary of the next chapter:

COMING SOON

Chapter 5: I Will Always Recall the City...

...or will I?

The Titans are still on Tamaran, Robin recovering from a nervous breakdown (or an insane fit), while a black fiend is about to be set free. The pie waits on the floor near the entrance, and another villain is making plans to attack. Starfire is getting worse by the minute, plagued more and more by these disappearing fiascos of Robin... or whoever it is. What is going on?

Find out when the time is right.


	5. I Will Always Recall the City

Home Truly – Teen Titans

Story Summary: Starfire contracts an unknown illness that mutates in her alien body. The Tower is thrown into panic at even the slightest chance of losing a fellow Titan. But as she slowly becomes delirious, will she still see the Tower as her home? R&S pairing, B&Rae pairing, I suppose.

Chapter 5: I Will Always Recall the City...

Chapter Summary:

...or will I?

The Titans are still on Tamaran, Robin recovering from a nervous breakdown (or an insane fit), while a black fiend is about to be set free. The pie waits on the floor near the entrance, and another villain is making plans to attack. Starfire is getting worse by the minute, plagued more and more by these disappearing fiascos of Robin... or whoever it is. What is going on?

Find out when the time is right.

Customary Author's Introduction: My first action scene will be posted here. It will be hard to describe the fight without starting to drivel and spiral and my quality running away.

Peep: Boom, baby!

Um... what was that all about anyway?

BEGIN FAN FIC

**-I've noticed that the horizontal rule feature is malfunctioning so here's a substitute-**

(Author's Note: There will definitely be some deja vu here, but that's actually very symbolic.)

"_Robin."_

He trembled from the dreams, the terrible imagery that had flashed through his head for what seemed like an eternity. He had been plagued by horrible dreams, although his corporeal body did not show it. Visions, perhaps dark premonitions, of a hospital bed stained with blood, of a green bolt shooting out of a baby blue gown, of a white cloth over a scarlet head... Even now he could still feel it, the atmosphere, the screams...

"_Robin."_

It was like he could feel the pain, Starfire's pain. Glimpses of freezing cold icicles had been woven through the dreams, hints of raging fire hidden in his imagination. And along with that, he felt pain. Agony that he might have experienced before, freezing and burning, but this was magnified so many times over, and continuous...

"_Robin."_

Then came the final dream, the final dream that shook him so much that he was jolted out of it abruptly, the final, horrible dream. A coffin. Moving towards an opening covered by a purple cloth. Blazing heat could be felt from it, that hot aura that surrounds all fire. And then the wooden box entered the fire.

He had thought that he heard a scream.

"_Robin!"_

What was that? Someone was calling him. It was a girl's voice, a sweet, high, treble voice, yet riddled with pain...

Starfire?

"Star?" he opened his eyes, although he didn't really feel anything. But he _was _opening them, he was sure of it. But in front of him was once again darkness like the darkness under his eyelids, except that it wasn't empty. There was something there...

"Starfire?"

"_Robin."_

His eyes were opened now, but the presence in front of him was not Starfire. Who was it? Why did she sound exactly like her?

"_Starfire is there. Go to her."_

Suddenly he was facing in another direction, and in front of him was indeed Starfire. She lay there in her creased hospital gown, writhing and groaning. His eyes widened, and he went to her.

"Starfire."

No response. He waited, then spoke again.

"Starfire."

She rolled over, moaning slightly and twitching. He could see sweat forming rapidly on her skin, and her face taking on a reddish tinge. She started to pant.

"Starfire."

Her look changed, becoming a probing look, a listening look.

"Starfire!"

Slowly, her eyes opened, emerald irises now with a blood-shot look to them. But they were still beautiful and pure, just the way they used to be, Starfire used to be.

"_Robin?"_

Behind the mask, his eyes lit up. She had responded, and she knew his name. He wanted to go to her, to take away the pain she had. He started towards her.

"_Robin!"_

He smiled.

Starfire smiled too, reaching out to him with the same joy that caused her to be able to fly. The old Starfire was back, finally. He opened his arms to receive her.

Then a pair of dark hands clamped over his chest and face and pulled him away.

"_ROBIN!"_

"STARFIRE!"

He was awake now, sitting up in a soft, pink bed, cold sweat running down his face to be absorbed in his uniform, panting strongly in and out, in and out. He had no intention to find out where he was; the reaction one has after a nightmare would be prolonged for him, seeing as he was dreaming about _her_.

"Shh, you must rest now."

Raven was next to the bed, her usual nondescript expression laced with a degree of worry. She had a hand, glowing with an electric blue. The Titans doctor was in the house.

Robin looked upwards to see the glowing hand. Slowly, the cogs of his mind started to turn.

"Hey, Raven," he croaked; after the scream his throat was very worn out. "Any chance you could help Star in any way with that?"

"My healing powers are very limited," Raven replied. "I wasn't as good at holy magic, as you may infer from my dark heritage. I have tried it on her, but the disturbance is too great to do anything..."

"Wait," Robin interrupted. "I'm sure that she hasn't forgotten about us, not her. She's in there somewhere. I know it."

"How do you know it?"

"I just know."

Raven removed her hand from Robin's head, sighed deeply, and looked him in the eye. "Funny, I felt the same way."

**-That was partly for any RobXRae fanatics, but no significance. Here it's a friend relationship.-**

"O Great Grand Roo-oo-ler!!"

A mocking voice came from the outside, and she knew it was time. Her stance was perfectly balanced, her hand ready to grapple with that weak little jailer outside.

"Would you please deign to come outside? Your jury awaits you!"

For once the fake lilting tone of his voice was suited to the occasion: Today Blackfire was to put her plan in action. She'd grab the blaster and shoot herself out of this stupid place.

Too bad they'd imprisoned her on Tamaran instead of some far-off planet. She had given up ruling. Now she was bent on destruction. But not Tamaran, not yet. She needed a place to stay once she had destroyed Earth. Maybe she could seek the help of that alien race in...

At last, the semi-solid partition in front of her shimmered and seemed to sink into the floor. The jailer stood there, muscular as all males on Tamaran should be, yet he had probably been secretly making time for regular snacks. In one hand, he carried the blaster that had been so familiar to her over the timeless period that had seemed like an eternity. It had shot her once, and her prison suit had been temporarily damaged before sealing itself together a while later. At that time, however, she'd been too shocked to rip the thing off her. Now she wasn't going to be so taken aback.

With a grunt and a sharp exclamation of effort, she pushed off the ground. Whatever little power the young woman had left she used to her fullest extent, going up to the highest altitude that she could manage, not being able to resist a highly exaggerated backflip over his head.

"X'hal, she looks hot..." the jailer's psyche was also as neglected as his body. A quick twist of the wrist was all it needed to pry the blaster from his broad hands.

"Thanks so much," Blackfire swiftly put her hand to the trigger, and a long tear appeared across her translucent suit. Slowly, she peeled the material off her to reveal the purple attire she wore in her early galaxy-roaming days. "You should really try to make room for some improvements to the prison garb. It's so unflattering. But anyway," her head jerked up towards the red-head's widened eyes and she flashed a wicked smirk, "I gotta fly, darling."

A quick blow at the nozzle, a sound of explosion, and she was gone.

And that man lay dead.

**-I know that that was short, but I figured leaving it off there would be good. Moving on!-**

Where was X'hal when you needed her?

A man ran down the corridors of the palace, sweating with exertion, panting with fear. It was quite a long way from the prison to the royal residence, and it was vital that he would reach there first.

Blackfire was coming, and coming fast. _Drat that useless person who let her escape!_ He pounded the wall with a massive fist as he turned a corner. She had been kept in the high-security prison, and now look at what happened. A swift flirt, and now she was free. Why on earth had they posted her on this planet anyway? Wouldn't another planet be better, with better security and most of all, less impressionable guards?

There was only one more chance left.

"Friends of Princess Koriand'r!"

Raven was the only one up at that time, while the three boys of the team were sprawled out in various places across the spacious room. All of them, however, had begun to stir and groan; a good sign.

"You're that guy who was the caretaker for that... green thing weren't you?"

"Yes, that may be so, but never mind that!" his face was a mask of cold steel with apprehension and just a little bit of fear. "Blackfire has escaped!"

**-Blah blah blah blah-**

Customary Post-Chapter Note: Sorry if that was a bit short, and sorry if the wait was so terrifically long. You see, I have to work on a story of 2000 words for school... in Chinese. -help!- So sorry if this starts to drag a lot. I'm going to leave the last few points of the chapter until next time.

Coming Soon:

Chapter 6: Know Every Street and Shore

The pie waits on the floor near the entrance, and another villain is making plans to attack. Starfire is getting worse by the minute, plagued more and more by these disappearing fiascos of Robin, as well as recurring flashbacks to both lovely and horrible scenes, and a terrible dream. What is going on?


End file.
